Innis & Gunn Limited Edition IPA | Innis & Gunn

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User Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by crwills:

Clear bottle, came in a box, had it on New Years. I think it may have been the 2007 edition, though I could be wrong.

Anyway, poured a light orange or deep gold into a pint glass, with a small white head that stuck around as bubbles. I think this is oak aged, but it doesn't come off as quite so vanilla-y in the aroma or flavour as the normal Limited Edition does. Somewhat tart or citrusy, with some hop presence but a big malt backbone as well. Fairly well balanced. Not my favourite, but different and interesting.

More User Reviews:

I only rate this beer with this score because the beer does taste "good". The smell is "good", and its quite drinkable. However, this beer does not represent the IPA style. The bitterness is hardly strong enough and its body is rather light. I will likely have this again once in a blue moon, or perhaps if I should invite female friends with premature taste for beer over.

I only bought this beer as a Christmas gift to a friend, but kept this one in the end because I had decided to give away something better (Aventinus Eisbock). So I am left with this bottle of beer that is wrapped in a pitifully pretty box, with a beautifully embellished bottle (a pretty gift for $4.75). I wonder if the beerstore will take the bottle back and give me my 10 cent return.

Smell is of fragrant oak, very sweet, with the vanilla like scent already coming out. The head was weak, around 1cm.

The taste is unique and over powering with oak flavour, with a cloying vanilla scent and sweetness. The aftertaste has a slight tanginess that one would expect from the oak profile. The malt taste is not at all evident, and is only present in the aftertaste. Perhaps the hop profile is nicely "absent" in order for the oak to be accentuated.

This is still not an IPA, it taste good however. The drinkability is only good if one is accustom to beer which tastes like potpourri. Still, another beer with a winning malt and hop profile would easily be more acceptable than this beer.

Very understated English IPA. Aroma of sour funkiness soaked in wood,some tranlucent soapy head, nad a lightly but rich apple juice colored body, orangey. Taste is quite subdued, aged and mellow, with some citrus. Very light, I recommend and have given this out as a transition craft beer. A little whisky on back of the tongue, and most pleasant with cheese and garlic bread and patatoes. Nice indeed, just too laid back for the big scores.

Oak really comes out on the nose. Lovely vanilla aroma with some nice caramel sweetness from the malt. Very nice smelling beer.

Surprisingly subtle taste. Sweet english malt up front with a little bit of grain more suited to a continental lager. A little bit of typically English fruit, but not that much really. Hops are very floral and offer a hint of honey, quite nice and very Scottish. Oak is there all the way through with vanilla at the forefront, but not the same whiskey character you get from the usual IG.

Quite thin but because of the lack of any real bitterness, not as nice in the mouth as other English ales. Quenching though.

An IPA from Innis and Gunn? I was nervous about this one, I thought the oak would be overpowering. It wasn't, at all, in fact it was much lighter than their normal ale. This is a good one, glad I got my 3/68,000!

A- The coloring is a very nice dark amber/orange....and there's somewhat of a oak stain to it. As usual, the box and bottle add sophistication to the product. Head is somewhat fizzy and settles to a ring around the glass. There is also some moderate lacing but not as much as I would have liked to see.

S- The aroma is quite complex, however the dominant smell is sweet caramel malts....almost like smelling a melted macintosh toffee bar. There is also a fruitiness to this, with sweet apples, as well as very mild citrus notes. There is also some yeasty aromas to this as well...smells rich and the oak is noticeable as well.

T- Tastes very nice! It is similar to how it smells....the caramel malt really comes through, but not as sweet. There is a nice vanilla oak flavor as well as the rich biscuit, bread flavors. The hop presence isn't really noticeable except right at the finish, there is just a slight zest.

M- Rich, creamy and smooth define this to a tee. The carbonation is low, allowing the liquid to flow over the palate gently. This allowed me to really pick up on the complex flavors and enjoy. At the same time, there is a slightly refreshing character to this brew that I really like. And like the other I&G products, the alcohol was hardly noticeable, especially considering this is a little stronger than the average beer.

D- As much as I like this, I'd stop after one. A mature beer for a mature beer drinker, I would very much enjoy this with a meal or as a nightcap. I really like that fact that this has so much flavor and is truly a sipping beer. Another great job!

Bottle: Poured a bright golden color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of liquor (rum), lemon zest and some malt  very different to say the least. Taste is very weird with some rums notes and zest flavour as well as some pastry? Not sure what to make of this but I am glad I had the chance to try it.

I had picked one of these up while out in Banff / Jasper, but sadly, it was pretty bad. The skunkiness was kind of unusual - it wasn't TOTALLY dead, and some of the malty sweetness came through. It was pretty vile and I ended up pouring it and figured I'd try it again from a different store in a different city.

A: A light golden amber hue, sporting a thick white head that makes itself at home and sticks around a while

S: A nice balance of hop and oakiness. The aging was about perfect at 60 days. Somewhat floral and citrus - like the fruits fresh on the tree. A soft malty backbone, typical of the English styles, which is typically nice.

T: Sweet barley and hoppiness. Not particularly bitter at all... that's not a bad thing, really. The oak is on the milder side, but does add a little bit of character.

M + D: Refreshing, sparkling. Finishes rather dry. This was certainly better than the first bottle that I had. I'd consider it again, and would welcome it if offered. Not too bad at all... give it a shot.

Comes in a fancy caramel coloured box, with an explanation of their brewing process/decisions on one side, and a break down of characteristics on the other side. Regular clear Innis & Gunn bottle inside. Pours out a clear light amber, the clarity is rather impressive for an IPA. Two-finger cream-coloured head that recedes quickly to a very thin cap.

Rich toffee malt on the nose, with trademark vanilla bean combined with oak presence that is the signature of this brewery. Very faint citrus zest.

Flavour is refined yet faint. Malt, alcohol and hops seem to blend into one. Hops are very mild, only really becoming independently apparent in the aftertaste as a slight herbal presence.

Mouthfeel is on the light side, even watery at times, but fills out on the finish.

This was enjoyable, but didn't quite live up to the hype and description of it on the box. Not hoppy in the least, yet the oak and vanilla add a nice touch. For the price I'll stick to the regular Innis & Gunn, this is a one shot deal for me as far as I'm concerned.

Found this at a Kingston, Ontario LCBO while searching for St. Ambroise Vintage Ale 2007. Clear bottle but BOXED!

Poured into a nosing glass. Modest white sudsy head, rich whisky-like amber colour. Streaming bubbles fizzing on the surface into nothing. I guess sitting in a oak cask for 60 days doesn't help the carbonation.

Aromas of maple syrup candy, brown sugar and Shreddies, carmelized sugar, dry sherry, molasses, vanilla, slight grassy hop notes. More vegetal than the original. Why does a Scottish IPA smell like bourbon? Next time peat it why don't you. Lots of barrel here, with less complexity but more cleanness than the original. of course with more hop notes and less maltiness. Some lemon juice in there. Maybe lager yeast? Alcohol noted on the nose.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, moderate carbonation stings the mouth a bit. Lots of malt on the palate... is this actually an IPA? There is something like bitterness here but it is more just sharpness, like an aged cheese. Sour fruity apple vinegar backhanded finish, medium to short length. Diacetyl. A bit hollow but retains some twigginess (like eating wood chips). Gosh, I really hope they don't chip this beer. Oak is much more mild in this than in the original.

I like these oaked beers because they have a unique and interesting flavour profile. Sure, they have their faults, but each of them is a joy to drink every once in a while. This gets better and better as I drink it!

thanks to grub for the chance to sample this wonderful beer.
this samples box was dated best before december 2008.

what a great presentation comes in a box to protect the beer from UV (samuel smith please take note) pours a bright brilliant coppery orange with a pillowy white head that drops like real whipped cream when it gets warm.
the aroma is marvelous a scotch undertone; rich with malt, hint of vanilla, little wood, little citrus.
the flavor is light on the pallette, malty but not heavy, just enough hop bitterness to balance the malt, some hop spice, little lemon zest, biscuity, finishes with a lingering citrus/vanilla/biscuit flavor.

drinkability is great. well balanced. a nice english beer with great barrel character, but it just doesn't taste like an ipa to me. the bitterness is lower than expected, even from an english ipa. the hop presence seems muted, though i'd expect that from the extended time in the barrel. however, it's still an enjoyable beer. i really think that the barrel character is much more balanced and enjoyable than the regular I+G, which is just a giant vanilla bomb.

Aroma: lush malt with a lacing of whisky-oak essence, orange, mold (in a good way... like stilton)

Flavor: initially malty sweet, but then quickly transitions through a slight tartness to a sharp enteric bitterness; oak, whisky, vanilla, peach-pit almonds; finishes very dry with a bitter, almondy aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium body, mild carbonation, crisp texture

Othe comments: Nice aroma and initial flavor, but the bitterness is a bit too sharp. If I ate a berry or some vegetation that tasted like this, I'd be worried that I just ingested some alkaloid poison! It's that kind of sharp bitterness. I have another bottle of this which I will cellar for about a year to see if it mellows.

Strong and boozy, but worthwhile as it had a complex taste that I had never experienced before. It's kind of like a glass of high quality IPA with an 1/8 shot of whiskey inside to throw a bunch of unexpected complexity into the mix. The booze is right up at the front on this which i don't like though, and the drinkability, like all innis and gunn beers is not there. It's a special occasion beer and too sweet for a session beer. Worth your time to try however, it's pretty much gone now since it was limited edition.

Flavour: Creamy texture with faint malt flavours leading to a subdued finish which is almost souring.

Overall: I think this beer has not stood up well to its almost 2 years of aging. I remember drinking quite a few when it was initially released in 2006 and was never greatly impressed with it, that's why I choose to age one and see if the flavours developed. Unfortunately my experiment has not paid off (maybe I gave it a bit too much age? - probably, considering the relatively low ABV and the fact that it is not bottle conditioned)

I must admit to being quite a fan of this brewery and commend their efforts, unfortunately neither the fresh or aged version of this is remarkable.

Comes in a fancy carton. One of only 68,000 made, though not individually numbered.

It pours a pale bronze color with a wispy small head the leaves a good amount of lace on the glass. The smell is and tart, sickly sweet with oak flavors. Doughy malts manage to shine through but hops arent noticeable behind the onslought of oaky, vanilla extract smells.

This beer has definitely come in to a lot of contact with oak, its really distracting on first sip. Vanilla pods, tannins and a faint smokeyness are dominant flavors throughout. Some sickly buttery flavors - possibly something to do with oak and yeast esters mixing in some ungodly way- is also noticeable. Its kind of like crunch n munch, but not as appealing. Herbal hops are too light and subordinate to the brash wood flavors. This is hardly an IPA, even by modern British standards. The mouthfeel is medium full with a pleasant carbonation consistency. The finish is all sweetish oak flavors.

I didnt enjoy this beer, it was a train wreck of oaky excess. Im not a fan of heavily oaked beers in general so I tried to be generous with the scoring. If you appreciate oaky Whiskey, this might be your beer, it surely isnt mine.

The colour of the beer is a light brown/copper colour, with a small head that stays very well. There isn't much carbonation from the looks of it.

The beer has a vanilla smell with some oak, and it's quite complex. I can't quite pick out all the of the smells in it though. The hops are very sweet in this beer and it's very balanced. The flavours are constantly changing on you. It tastes like a spirit, and it's quite odd. The mouthfeel is what I expected.

Crystal clear amber orange so they got the color down pat. Decent head and lacing, but no real retention. An average EIPA looks-wise.

Lots of buttery sweet malts with a hint of rum raisin. Not a whiff of hop to be had though. Must have been fresh as there was no skunk smell. Mind you it does come in it's own individual box.

Bit of an alcohol bite up front followed by some nice whiskey vanilla. Definitely can taste the oak in the back end.

A tough watery in the middle, but all in all quite smooth.

Not sure where the Brothers are going with their product line because for something that was supposed to be India Pale Ale this one tastes an awful lot like their Oak Aged Ale that can be had for a fraction of the price. I'll be passing on another.